Victoria:

Kayaks on the Upper Yarra

The Yarra River is so tranquil as it flows past my place, close to the centre of Melbourne, Australia’s second biggest city, that it’s hard to believe there are rapids further upstream.
I’ve been out on the Yarra – the ‘muddy Yarra’ as it’s usually described – wi...

Afghanistan comes to Mildura, Australia

▲ Afghan kite, Australian gum tree
Australia Day on 26 January is Australia’s equivalent of the USA's 4th of July or France’s Bastille Day (there isn’t a UK equivalent). I go some- where in the state of Victoria every year as part of the ‘Australia Day Ambassador...

The Otway Fly

My January spell at Apollo Bay in Victoria, Australia included a couple of days walking along the Great Ocean Walk and some interesting encounters with Aussie critters. Not this one, this rather fine looking pterodactyl model featured in a dinosaur walk at the Otway F...

Great Ocean Walk – Take 2

Back in 2006, right after it opened, I spent two days walking 42km on the Great Ocean Walk along the spectacular Victorian coast in the Otways. Back then I said I’d be back later in the year to finish the rest of the walk, another 60km.
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▲ It didn’t happen in 2...

Aussie Wildlife

If you’re at the right place and at the right time of day – lots of Australian wildlife is nocturnal – it’s often remarkably easy to encounter the critters and I certainly saw a few over the Christmas-New Year period.
◄ Starting with koalas – lots of wildlife you h...